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THIS DISCUSSION / SOURCE-DERIVED OVERVIEW
Discussion summary
YOUR RESEARCHLow oil pressure warning
Reported or suspected cause
bearings
Reported cause
No successful repair reported for this finding.
1
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0
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0
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Reported cause
Ive had this happen before and it was the bearings.
Leading evidence: 'bearings' (1 discussions report identifying this cause; no attributable repair resolution). Across 1 matching discussions, the most frequently mentioned possible cause is 'bearings' (1 discussions; 1 report identifying it and 0 suggest it). The most frequently discussed action is 'Check any thing else' (1 discussions). For that action, 0 discussions report a resolution and 0 report an unsuccessful attempt. No action has an explicit, attributable resolution report under the current rules. These are forum reports and suggestions, not a confirmed diagnosis.
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Reported cause
He literally said he had oil pressure on the gauge...No need to argue anymore; it was the sensor.
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Thanks for your advice I will check the oil to be sure, the dealership diagnosed it as a faulty sender and they replaced it yesterday, and then today the light goes on again
Thanks for your advice I will check the oil to be sure, the dealership diagnosed it as a faulty sender and they replaced it yesterday, and then today the light goes on again
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Suggestion
What I did when I suspected the oil level sensor was no good was to stick a long piece of #14 gauge stranded wire in the fill opening all the way to the bottom of the dry sump tank - making my own dipstick.
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Suggestion
I can take it out later for a ride but i have been babying the car until i get it to the mechanic next week to change oil, brake fluid, spark plugs etc.
Counts describe captured discussions, not unique people or a diagnosis. Author identities are not reliably stored. Exact duplicate evidence is counted once across matching discussions; one discussion counts at most once per action/state. Multiple repairs reported together remain a combination. Suggestions and failed attempts do not establish a fix. Matches cover whole discussions and can include related faults, model variants and incomplete threads.
41 eligible posts · 0 unverified posts · 1 discussions match the subject in their title or opening post.
Rennlist: 1 discussions
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Outcome without a verified action link
The Indy phoned me before saying they have fixed it.
So done a bit of work on the 2002 c4 cab with 67k miles. Imsb ln pro, rms, a gear box leak, gear box mount. Then most of the suspension( nearly the value of the car I know maybe not smart but I want to keep this one ). Ask about aos but they said they tested it and it was fine. Did major service and ask d them to check any thing else that needed to be done. Every thing on the car has been running great. Done about 80 miles. Today when warm the warning low oil pressure flashed up and the little oil light came on. Did my temp and pressure checks all in the normal range. 1.5 bar pressure. Temp just over 80c. Stopped checked oil. Normal level. Took the risk and drove it the 5 miles to the indo and they plugged the piwis in but no faults or errors on the dme. But they could see the instrument error on the piwis. Suggest it is the switch. And will try change it out on Monday.
Question is, could this potentially be the aos? As when I put some power on the oil light goes away and when backing off the throttle it beeps and the warning and light pop back on. Or is it more likely to be the switch as suggested.
concern is on Monday it has a date with a boat for shipping and it will put a spanner in the works of not a simple fix.
thanks in advance to any suggestions
^ +1 very simple and inexpensive fix.
However, if I was you, I'll buy AOS and coolant tank, and get VAT back. As you'll most likely need to replace those too. Sourcing those in NZ will be a rather expensive exercise.
Keep in mind - the pressure sensor gauge and the warning light are on 2 different circuits.
Odd that you're showing good on the pressure - but the warning light is coming on....
I vote oil pressure sender. I bet the gauge dropped to 0 when the light came on and it bounced right back up to "normal" when you looked.
I've seen two 996's have the exact same symptom when the oil pressure sender failed.
That's exactly what mine did! The message on the dash said "oil pressure sensor failure." I still soiled my drawers! Changed the sensor been good for last two years!
If you really had zero pressure I'd imagine you'd hear a lot of not very nice noises coming from the engine compartment. Would think it has to be a bad sending unit.
Thanks for all the suggestions, I was hoping for the sender unit as this has been replaced a couple of years back. However this time it was different as the needle wasn't bouncing at all. The Indy phoned me before saying they have fixed it. It was the sender unit. I started to head out to pick it up when I got another call that the light had come back on. So they need more time to investigate. Getting to the 11th hour now. Will report back what they find. Fingers crossed
When my oil pressure sensor failed, I got the warning about sensor failure, but no other warning lights.
Still, this is a known area of weakness. If the dipstick confirms that the oil level is good, change the sensor ($80.00 and 1/2 an hour with the proper tool: a crow's foot wrench).
If it was something else (like the oil pump)...you would probably know already.
Low oil pressure can also be caused a weak or broken oil bypass spring. I cant remember the actual name for it, but if it fails it will result in low oil pressure.
My 2002 did this a couple times a few years back and I did nothing about it. Yesterday it did it again 3 times on a 20 mile commute to work. Pressure would drop to zero, oil light would come on for a couple seconds then light would go out and pressure resume to where it should be. Commute home that evening no issues. Checked oil this morning and it is fine. So I'm assuming faulty sender?
sounds like it. the one sensor is really two sending units in one. One goes to the gauge, and the other goes to the oil light and computer. its a pretty easy repair if you use a crows foot wrench and go in from the bottom.
It's amazing how no one thinks this is actually a low pressure problem. Pull the sump pan and have a look at the oil pick up screen. Then hook up a machanical pressure gauge to the engine and see if there is a problem. If all checkes out only then assume it's either a sensor or wiring problem. Also, the shop should have replaced the air oil seperator. If it's old or unknown age, replace it when the transmission is off. It is a consumable item.
whatever makes you happy is fine, but OP stated he had pressure of 1.5 bars when the idiot light came on.
" Did my temp and pressure checks all in the normal range. 1.5 bar pressure. "
He clearly has oil pressure and the sensor or the sensor circuit acting up.
My POS van does exactly what the OP's symptoms are. Or at least the old one and another truck I used to drive when I was young.
In the winter....no oil light ever comes on. On warmer days when you have been running on the highway and then get off and let it idle at a stop light, the oil light would come on. As soon as you give it some gas, it goes off. I believe the issue was that one of the main bearing clearances had opened up (or something like that) and when it has no load on it, oil leaks by, giving the low oil pressure warning light. Giving it gas (putting load on it) changes the thrust/clearance on the bearing, closing it up and the oil light goes off.
Not saying this is the OP's issue, but just a data point.
How is that clearly when one of the two warning systems is triggered? Just because the electronic gauge shows pressure doesn't mean there is one and this goes the other way around too. When a gauge shows no pressure but the light is out, doesn't mean there is pressure either. It's a redundant system to protect from a failure of one of the oil pressure measuring devices. One of them fails (as it did in this case) and a proper diagnosis should be conducted. The OP can simply replace the sending unit and see what happens but should not assume that the gauge is always more accurate than the light.
You dont even make any sense with that position. You just said that it was from a failing sensor (as it is in this case) and you still want to drop the pan? Thats ridiculous.
The sensor has 1 single input for the oil pressure and two outputs (one for the gauge that is variable, and one that is fixed for the oil light and computer). With true loss of oil pressure the gauge will fall to zero AND the oil light and the dash computer (if equipped) will activate. If only one or the other fails then you can be assured that the issue is with the sensor or the sensor circuit.
Hi all, Update to this. It was the sensor in the end. Which is fortunate, car has arrived in NZ from London after 3 months on the boat. Had a few issues coming through customs with someone kindly taking my lock stud key, and then jumpstarting the car (as we all know with no charger and not started for 3 months the batt is going to be flat) and blowing all the fuses for the PCM1 ( suspect the reversed the polarity. it took 5 fuses to get that up and working again. Although the Nav drive still doesn't work, I suspect there is a fuse on the back of that unit as well. But the oil light warning hasn't come back on. there does appear to be 2 failures of this, the first one I experience 2-3 years ago, the gauge would drop to zero, then bounce up. this one the car would beep and warn low oil.
My comments are based on this "He clearly has oil pressure and the sensor or the sensor circuit acting up.". As I wrote before, it's not clearly, not even close to it. Considering how expensive these engines are or how much work is it to replace wiped out bearings for low oil pressure (I'm doing just that with my own engine), Yes, I would drop the pan and look. One of the warning systems failing would get me to do that. Its' easy to do.
I just obtained a 996 tt and have this same issue. It�s scary for sure since the car is new to me. A local Porsche dealer (long story but i am not paying for the repair) diagnosed it as the sender and switched it out yesterday. I got the light again today. Thoughts? They also diagnosed a faulty fuel sender and ordered that part. Any thoughts? I am scheduled to bring it to a local Porsche specialist next week, do I stick with the dealer even though if it�s anything serious I would not have the dealer fix it $$$
Does the engine have a dipstick? If yes, have you checked the oil with the dipstick? The oil sender is on the top right side of the engine. You may have to take the air filter cover off to reach it, but should be able to see if the wires are connected and tight. I have an NA, so I cannot speak to what turbo plumbing may be in the way. Does the oil pressure gauge fluctuate or drop to zero? If yes, maybe the new sender is faulty.
they did a full diagnostics of the car in 2 separate dealerships so I am guessing oil was ok. It�s going for oil change and maintainence next week. I just got the vehicle and I have to find the dipstick I am sure I can find it. Yes it goes right to zero and right back up. Thank you
You went to two separate dealerships and they couldn't diagnose the problem? That doesn't say much for those dealerships. The oil pressure sending unit has long been a problem for the 996. Park on level ground. Engine should be stone cold (overnight). Open the engine lid. Look between the alternator and oil fill tube for the dipstick. It has a yellow top. Pull it and wipe it off, then reinsert and pull again. Check the oil level. And never assume that they will check the oil level for you.
Thanks for your advice I will check the oil to be sure, the dealership diagnosed it as a faulty sender and they replaced it yesterday, and then today the light goes on again
Guys, he's got a Turbo, totally different. If there is any oil at all in the dry sump tank it will not be damaged. There is no dipstick (stupid on Porsche's part). Oil filler is in the upper right corner of the engine bay.
What I did when I suspected the oil level sensor was no good was to stick a long piece of #14 gauge stranded wire in the fill opening all the way to the bottom of the dry sump tank - making my own dipstick.
The oil pressure sensor is behind the oil filter next to the throttle body and it does go bad, I replaced mine last week. The little plugs on it can also get loose.
If the gauge shows "0" and the oil pressure warning DOES NOT come on in the instrument cluster odds are the sensor is bad.
Thanks, I just got the car so I am still watching but i would say between 2-3 and when i apply gas it goes higher. I can take it out later for a ride but i have been babying the car until i get it to the mechanic next week to change oil, brake fluid, spark plugs etc.
HMMmmm....flaky fuel gauge, flaky oil waring in dash, OP sender didn't fix it........sounds like an Instrument cluster issue, may a loose connector or deteriorating receptacle.
The only thing to do if this is the problem is an engine tear down and replace the parts to eliminate the oil leaking through the bearings.
Or could run a thicker oil, I suppose. But eventually the bearings will need to be replaced, I think.
Thank you very much. For now I'll probably try thicker oil in the summer time to address it in the short term. I'll try to bundle an engine teardown with other maintenance items when the time comes.
